Hundreds go on strike at major Navy shipbuilder in Maine over wages and
benefits
[March 24, 2026] By
PATRICK WHITTLE
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of designers, clerks and technicians
went on strike Monday in Maine at one of the U.S. Navy's largest
shipbuilding contractors.
The Bath Marine Draftsmen's Association went on strike at General
Dynamics Bath Iron Works after members voted to reject the shipyard's
proposed wage offer over the weekend. The union represents 627 workers
at the historic shipyard, which has built naval ships in Bath for more
than a century.
The strike arrived several weeks after a morale-boosting appearance in
which U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth touted the need to boost
defense manufacturing. It is also taking place as the U.S. intensifies
its war effort in Iran.
The union said in a statement that the shipyard's offer does not address
the members' concerns about wages, insurance coverage and retirement
income security.
“We had hoped the company took to heart the statements made by Secretary
Hegseth here at GD BIW on February 9th because, our membership certainly
did,” union President Trent Vellella said in an emailed statement that
also said General Dynamics “continues to make record profits off our
labor.”
The shipyard negotiated with the union for three weeks and has been
unable to reach accord on a new collective bargaining agreement, said
David Hench, a spokesperson for Bath Iron Works. Hench said the
company's proposal includes “historic annual wage increases” of 10.1% in
the first year followed by 4% in each of the following three years.
The company plans for business operations to continue during the strike
through the use of salaried personnel, subcontractors and other
employees who elect to come to work, the shipyard said on its website.
The shipyard's total workforce is about 6,800 people, Hench said.
“The company is continuing to negotiate in good faith with the BMDA to
explore opportunities to better align company and union objectives,”
Hench said in an emailed statement.
[to top of second column] |
Strikers picketing outside Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine, on
Monday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Rodrique Ngowi)
 The Bath Marine Draftsmen's
Association is affiliated with the United Automobile, Aerospace and
Agricultural Implement Workers of America, which is commonly known
as the UAW and is one of the country's largest unions. The BMDA
members at Bath Iron Works work as designers, nondestructive test
technicians, technical clerks, laboratory technicians and associate
engineers, the union said in a statement.
Members picketed outside the shipyard Monday in cold and drizzly
weather. Workers said they would continue picketing around the clock
until they ratified a new contract.
Bath Iron Works is a major shipbuilder for the Navy and was awarded
a multiyear contract to build several Arleigh Burke-class destroyers
in 2023. The Arleigh Burke is a guided missile destroyer that Navy
officials have described as the “backbone of the Navy’s surface
fleet.” The Navy exercised an option last year to add an additional
destroyer to the contract.
The Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr.,
a member of the Arleigh Burke class, last year and it’s due to be
commissioned next month, Hench said.
Shipyard representatives did not immediately respond to a question
about whether the strike would slow production.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
